.....and a few other Sites.

A lot of discussion, fussing over and Interesting 7 pages...…

A new Cartridge was introduced the other day called the 6.8
Western, by Winchester. Browning is in on it too.

It is basically a shorter version of the 270 Winchester Short
Magnum/1:8 twist barrels/for heavier .277dia Bullets.
Went and mic'd one of my .277dia bullets, it is actually 7mm.
I guess it's all in the name.

What's your thoughts on this 6.8 (.277dia) Western.

Attached Images

WIN_20200929_13_02_56_Pro.jpg (84.9 KB, 123 views)

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SD social distanc'n since 1889

7mm bullets are .280
6.8mm bullets are .277

The cartridge itself I haven't really looked into. A short action or intermediate action in an intermediate caliber has been a talking point since the 1950's at least hasn't it? NATO wanted it (6.8mm) for an all around rifle round but .308 won out. Out of nowhere here comes the 5.56mm / .223 and what I'll call the micro action main battle rifle.

The quest for king of the "just right" not too big not too small rages on.

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Straight shootin'
SWCA#2439

I’d guess it’s another niche cartridge that may or may not catch on. Probably marketed as “bigger than the 6.5 mm”. The advertising copy stating it recoils less than the .300 Win Mag is not reassuring...

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Just another gimmick round as the 6.5 craze is petering out. so they up it to 6.8. Whats next, the resurgence of the 8MM in a short magnum.

7mm are .284

Correct - mind was stumbling. 6.8 - .277 - but called a .270
7mm - .284 but called a 28 or .280
You can confuse yourself easily in the world of cartridges can't you as I did in my post. Even better are the rounds that have multiple names for the same thing.

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Straight shootin'
SWCA#2439

LOL yet another wonder cartridge. I'm still stuck with the 120 year old .30-06. I haven't yet found a valid reason to abandon it for something else.

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Smith. And Wesson. And Me!

I am certain it is at least 0.001% more efficient than the short mag it's compared to and has less drop at 1/2 mile than it does as well. As to being a better product than a 270/280/30-06? I'll tell you in 115 years.

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Front sight and squeeze

I did - the 35 Whelen. Also nearly a centenarian.

I'm still stuck on the M-1873 45-70 round! Old is the new New! (kind of like me!)

Ivan

Don't forget the 1873 45 colt

Yes, cartridges and calibers are confusing. Not sure if you reload, but it all starts making sense when you roll your own.

Then you throw in there those French, Russian and other countries cartridges that are a tad different but using some of the same terminology.

Then you stand in stores and shake your head when a sales person or a customer says something totally stupid about how one caliber (err...cartridge) is better than another.

Rosewood

They come and they go. As long as it keeps the gun makers in business, it's probably a good thing.

I'll stick with my Pre-War Model 70 in 270 Winchester.

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Keep your powder dry.

How do they intend to produce a new caliber while they can't keep current ammo on the shelves?

Here’s a nice rundown by Ron Spomer:

6.8 Western — New Winchester & Browning Big Game Cartridge — Ron Spomer Outdoors

I can understand the appeal/intention of longer, higher BC bullets at heavier weights than what a .270 will throw from a 1/10 twist.

I’m intrigued, but the only thing I’m eyeing right now are things in 6.5 Swedish or other older/classic cartridges; plus browning is putting out a limited run of left hand BAR MK3s in .270 soo...

Yep, I've got an old FN 98 in 270, and a short Husky in 30-06, which are beautiful cartridges, and that dumpy 6.8 is kinda homely... jus sayin!

All it will do is encourage people to build guns with huge scopes with high magnification and do their shooting with bipods or shooting sticks at extreme ranges instead of really getting out and hunting.

Now Walter, you've got to admit though, that is a beautiful bullet, looks like its going 3000 fps just sitting there!

I've got nothing against long range rifles, or nice clear clean scopes, or shooting bag's, sticks, or a bi-pod.. actually my last rifle is a dumpy little 250-300 yard 30 cal with ballistics to match the 30-30, I bought it cause I like to see those .30 caliber holes in cardboard...

I do love to hunt, but these days, I really enjoy punching paper more. I'm sure it will probably be accurate, I gave some very serious consideration to the 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC II, and the 6.5 Creed, they are all good, and with these fancy bullets, they work well at longer ranges.. its a lot of fun...

So while I agree with you in principle, I believe game should be harvested ethically and in a sportsman like manner, good glass helps shot placement, these wildcats are all kinda cool, and that's kinda what makes the world go round..

I'd rather have that cool bullet in a more traditionally shaped cartridge, those short fat jobs with a little bitty bullet, cause feeding issues in my experience, and we all hate that..

I'm a lover of rifle cartridges that shoot long skinny bullets. The old 6.5x55 and 7mm Mauser are such cartridges. They are known to shoot and kill above their weight.

Any caliber that can shoot bullets with high BC and sectional density with great efficiency has real advantages. American shooters seem to just be catching on to that fact.

I like the new 6.8mm Western on paper. I'm not an extreme long range hunter but I get the advantages that this new cartridge bring to the table. I'm not the kind of hunter that wants to crank on scope turrets. I want a nice long point blank range with power to spare on my intended game.

I've ben toying with putting together a rifle chambered in 6.5mm PRC as a pronghorn through elk cartridge but the 6.8 Western has me rethinking that a little. With a 6.5mm I feel the bullet weight is on the marginal end for elk unless you're presented with a perfect shot but is still above my 1500 ft/lbs. minimum at 500 yards. The added weight that comes with the new pills used in the 6.8mm Western gives me a little more confidence out there at 300 to 400 yards. with over 1800 ft/lbs at 500 yards. Both give me a point blank range past 300 yards on deer size animals. It is nice to not have to do more than throw the crosshairs on the target and pull the trigger at the ranges I'm comfortable shooting.

If Winchester chambers the Extreme Weather M70 in either the 6.5mm PRC or new 6.8mm Western I'm might be a buyer.

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Bill Bates

Fixed it for you.

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Release the Kraken

That is a good point, but I imagine this cartridge was in the works long before the panic started. They probably had it in their schedule to release it and didn't want to change the schedule. Will be interesting to see if they can put some on the shelves..

So what is wrong with that? That takes a lot of skill also. As long as you are ethical, I don't care how you do it myself.

I have heard the argument, "well what if the animal takes a step". If that is the only argument against it, we need to ban bow hunting. Deer duck before the arrow gets there in 40 yards. And many of those shots wound deer and take a lot of tracking. Not much different than a deer taking a step at 600 yards.

Rosewood

I hear ya. In fact all of the cartridges I use and reload...are all old-timers - .30-30, .357 Mag., .30-06, .45-70 and 12 GA. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

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Smith. And Wesson. And Me!

The problem is, marketing folks. They have to generate work for themselves so they are constantly coming with something new to sell. I suppose the designers are generating work for themselves also.

Rosewood

Having spent quite a few years as a "marketing folk" I tend to agree. However, occasionally, working with the engineering/tech folks, they come up with some useful ideas. I grew up on the 243, 30-30 and 30-06. Frankly if you can't get it done with one of those you can't get it done with the new stuff either.

On the other hand I really, really like the 223WSSM and don't know why it didn't catch on. It will shoot Barnes 53 grain TSXs one MOA or better and right through a 200 pound boar putting them down as efficiently as does a 30-06.

I've used the old 6.5X55 for years and love the round. However, having the same ballistics in a short action is helpful too. While I poo-pooed the 6.5 Creedmoor for a long time I bought one a couple years ago and using the Hornady 143 grain ELD-X and a Leupold VX-6 with CDS dial I'm amazed at what can be done out to 600 yards on game. . . and considerably further on paper.

Got to keep those gun companies in business one way or another.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

I decided I wanted a .264 cartridge and settled on the .260 Remington. At the time I didn't realize the popularity of the 6.5 CM so I ordered the .260 barrel and put it on my savage. Then I started looking for brass and couldn't find it anywhere at the time so I ended up reforming .243 brass which worked fine. I could find 6.5 CM. Then I found you can't hardly find .260 ammo in the store and it cost more, but even wally world carried 6.5CM. That being said, I wished I had went the 6.5CM route with that gun. I have since bought 2 different 6.5CM to shoot. Nothing wrong with either cartridge, I do prefer something you can buy ammo for at wally world in a pinch.

I do have a 93 Mauser I had rebarreled from the 7mm to 6.5x55 because the 7mm was shot out also.

Rosewood

And wound and maim the most beautiful creatures on earth. And that is if they can actually hit them. And use a bullet with the proper terminal ballistics.

Yes, although done right clean kills at long range aren't that hard to make. Laser range finders, CDS dial scopes, accurate rifles with great triggers, and today's bullets make it a far different endeavor than when I use to wonder how much hold over will be about right with my old '06 with Power Point bullets at 350-400 yards. We shouldn't shoot beyond our capabilities but with today's products we can reach out reliably much further than most of us use to be able to do.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

That’s about it. I’d say, “Who cares?” - but if it keeps the gun and ammunition companies purring - great!

I noticed in one of the videos they were explaining the need for it with the logic that it could use a heavier (175 gr) bullet for long-range elk shooting. So a .277” diameter, 175 gr bullet and (even worse) long-range elk shooting. What a great idea!

Admit it sounds good but hate to take a chance on a new one only to see it fades away and ammo tough to find. The 260 sounded great to me but as stated above another that might wane. Admit the 25-06 seems to be doing well but my .270 and 30-06 do what I need.

I'd like to see someone come up with a 9.8x64-would make a great 200 yard gun for just about anything but the big bears. For big bears I would go with an 11.43x54R

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Forum consigliere

Well, lets see. I have rifles in 22, 22WMR, 223, 243, 25-06, 270. 270WSM, 7.62x39, 303, 308, 30-06, 300WM, 35 Rem, and I can hunt anything in North America with them, all at ranges I am comfortable with. So why would I need it? I wouldn't, but then I am not a young , impressionable, fad driven, or generally up to date sort of guy so I suspect I am not the target audience. I use a flip phone for chissakes! So I'll happily continue with my life and wish them well.

New calibers are fun, they give the youngsters something to obsess about and believe they have the new greatest thing ever. They give older people something to research and play around with if they want to. But I've yet to see anything that the old 30-06 can't do or hasn't done a thousand times over. If I ever embark on a hunt that an 06 isn't suited for then I'm probably paying enough for the hunt that a little extra on a new gun won't seem that expensive...

There has been something like that in existence for many years. The drillings issued to Luftwaffe pilots as survival weapons had a rifle barrel chambered in 9.3 x 74 mm, which would probably put down anything in North America.

Another vote for the . 30-06 for me!

That and give the gun writers something new to go ga ga over.

A new debate will keep them moving, after all how many 9 VS. .45, is the .38 dead, and the .30,06 is far superior to the .308 can we endure!

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

Actually let me expand on my previous post. I used to say a .30-06 would kill anything I could drag out of the woods. The deer I shot in 2015 taught me it would in fact kill things considerably larger. I killed the deer, then it darn near killed me!!!!

Where I live in Texas, a .243 using 100gr. SPs is all I've ever needed. The deer here are not particularly large and the hogs go down easily with a .243. I'm not a rifleman of any sort outside of hunting. I don't go to the range as I hunt on private property, so I sight in my rifle annually a couple of weeks before deer season on that same property. I do want to buy a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .357 to take up handgun hunting at some point.

Good Lord!!! Say it ain’t true!! Something that is actually better than the 6.5 Creedmore?!! The wonder cartridge to replace all that came before? The only cartridge ever that you would be comfortable shooting rock chucks with all day and the next fly to Alaska and kill your coastal grizzly with one shot at 600 yards neatly placed in the right eye socket because no matter what the platform it will shoot sub 1/2 MOA with factory ammo.
Simply unbelievable.

I was in several Stores this week, and Ammo and Components
for Reloading have been showing up. That was interesting.

One Store even have 10 50ct Bags of this 6.8 Western, and
a lot of various boxes of Hornady Bullets, and Berger Bullets
(.22, .270, .30).

Even Ammo was on the Shelf.

Attached Images

WIN_20210222_10_27_28_Pro.jpg (88.4 KB, 6 views)

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SD social distanc'n since 1889

The creedmore shouldn’t be made fun of it’s actually in my top five of the .264 cartridges.

Yeah, needed or not I don’t see the 6.5 CM going anywhere soon. I can’t say the same about the 6mm CM, 6mm ARC, 6.5 and 300 PRC. That said, I am surprised the 300WSM IS still doing as well as it is.

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213th FBINA

If no one owns a gun chambered for it the ammo is going to stay there.

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Front sight and squeeze